College Baseball: Padyšák’s school finished season for Zelenka and Kovala
NCAA Regional Athens tournament was played in the previous day with three Czechs playing. Before the start it was clear that at least two of them will wrap up their season after the tournament is finished. In the end it was Daniel Padyšák who advanced and helped to beat Kovala’s Georgia Tech.
But let’s take it from the beginning. The tournament started with a game between Georgia and Army West Point, which ended with a narrows 8-7 win for Georgia. Georgia Tech then lost 0-9 to UNC Wilmington. Only Kovala played in this game when he threw 0.2 innings and allowed a run.
Georgia Tech then moved to the loser bracket, where they beat Army 4-2. Georgia and UNCW played each other in the winner’s bracket. Georgia once again won by a difference, this time 11-2. Martin Zelenka played as a pinch-hitter, but his strikeout finished the game.
UNCW dropped to the loser bracket and played against Georgia Tech. At this point a winner would advance to the tournament final. Georgia Tech came on top after beating UNCW 3-1, thanks to two homeruns, meaning the season was over for UNCW. Martin Zelenka could only watch the Sunday final between Georgia and Georgia Tech. And he got to see a dramatic game which had to be decided in the extra innings.
Georgia took a quick 2-0 lead, but Georgia Tech managed to come from behind and was leading 5-2 after two innings. Daniel Padyšák came on the mound in the seventh inning, with his team 3-5 behind and he gave his team the necessary peace when he threw two hitless innings. Georgia could focus on the offense and thanks to a homerun from Kolby Branch they tied the game. Georgia then took advantage of a defensive error in the ninth inning and took 8-5 lead. Georgia Tech responded with only a run of their won, which wasn’t enough to get them a win.
Danial Padyšák will now play in NCAA Super Regionals, where Georgia advanced for the first time since 2008. The tournament will start on Friday and the team to play in College World Series will be decided on 10th of June at latest.
